Doctor in genital mutilation case released on bond

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DETROIT (AP) — A Detroit-area doctor at the center of a female genital mutilation case has been released on bond after seven months.

Friends of Dr. Jumana Nagarwala pledged $4.5 million if she runs off before trial in 2018. She must wear an electronic tether after her release Tuesday.

Defense attorney Shannon Smith says it will be easier to prepare for trial now that Nagarwala is out of jail. She is among eight people charged in the federal case.

The government is accusing Nagarwala of performing genital mutilation on six girls at a Livonia clinic. She denies any crime and says she performed a religious custom on girls from her Muslim sect, the Dawoodi Bohra.